brief+introduction

Among the countries of Europe, France ranks third in size behind Russia and Ukraine. France is a highly complex and diverse land. It includes a wide range of natural environments, cultural backgrounds, and economic activities that present anever-changing perspective (features/characters) to the observing (careful) traveler.The diversity begins with the French landscape itself, broken by extensive highlands that include the Alps and their highest peak, Mont Blanc, and descending into lush, fertile valleys and level plains. France's area of more than 210,000 square miles (543,000 square kilometers) includes the island of Corsica in the Mediterranean Sea.France faces the major seas of Europe—the North Sea, the Atlantic Ocean, and the Mediterranean. It lies across the English Channel from England and shares boundaries with Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Andorra, and Spain. France has thus been open to ideas, immigrants, and invasions from many directions, and its own culture, products, and philosophies have spread throughout the world.A major manufacturing country that employs some of the world's most advanced technology, France is also Europe's most important agricultural nation, providing wheat, wine, and other products to the world. The French language ranks second only to English in international use; and the nation's great cultural vitality (power/passion) gives it an international importance far exceeding its size or population. Liberal political traditions, with emphasis on human rights and national independence, make France a leader in world affairs.France has many visible traces (places of interest) of its richly varied past. Beginning with the Stone Age monuments at Carnac and the cave paintings of Lascaux, artists have recorded the flow of centuries down to some of today's most advanced creative expressions. The French people have also molded (shaped) almost every part of the country, creating the hedgerows of Normandy, the vast open fields of the Paris Basin, and the miles of carefully tended vineyards (grape yards) in many regions. This humanization of the landscape has sometimes gone against nature, resulting in deforestation (trees cutting), bleak mining areas, and high levels of air and water pollution. Today, however, France is committed to protecting and restoring both its natural environment and its rich cultural heritage.Reference is often made in this article to the historical provinces of France, which include such well-known names as Brittany (Bretagne), Burgundy (Bourgogne), Normandy, Provence, and Champagne.ClimateFrance has three major climates: oceanic, Mediterranean, and continental. These climates are as varied as the nation's size and physical diversity would suggest. In general, however, the French climate is moderate, with few areas having extremes of heat or cold, unusual drought, or violent weather.The dominant climate of much of France is oceanic, also called maritime temperate. It prevails (exist) especially along the west coasts of continents in the latitudes of westerly airflow. In France the absence of mountains except on the southern and eastern borders permits this climate, with minor exceptions, to prevail in most regions. The oceanic climate features a mild winter with no monthly temperature averaging below freezing, a relatively cool summer, and, as a result, an extremely small annual temperature range. For instance, Brest, on the coast of Brittany, has a January average of 45° F (7° C) and a July average of 63° F (17° C)—a range of only 18°—F (10° C).The Mediterranean climate predominates (be popular) along the southern coast of France, particularly in the shadow of the Alps. Taking its name from the Mediterranean Basin, which it dominates, this transitional climate is found on the western coasts of all continents between latitudes 30° and 40°, north and south. The warm Mediterranean Basin at these latitudes produces mild winters, with an average January temperature of 47°F (8° C) at Nice. This famous resort (attractive) city has heavy winter rainfall, about 34 inches (86 centimeters), but almost no rain in summer. Because of the blocking effect of the Alps, Pyrenees, and Massif Central, temperatures remain higher and sunshine more frequent in the Mediterranean region than in the northern part of France. In summer, however, the northward shift of wind brings this region under the influence of dry subtropical weather that heads in fromNorth Africa. Although temperatures are often very warm, especially away from the coast, this belt has little or no rain during summer.The continental climate prevails farther to the east, away from the sea, and especially with increasing elevation. There, temperatures become lower during winter and snow remains on the ground for several weeks, though the weather is often sunny. Winter storms and their moisture can move easily across France, and so snow often tends to be heavy in the Jura and Alps, but temperatures are rarely excessively (extremely) cold except on the highest peaks.。